A Judge Has Determined That The Edmonton Police Officer Who Took Money From Three Crime Scenes Cannot Be Dismissed

An Edmonton police officer who admitted guilt to three theft charges and three breach of trust charges will not face job termination following a decision by an Alberta Court of Appeal judge.

Between 2016 and 2017, Constable David Ahlstrom was implicated in three incidents where he pilfered money from crime scenes, as reported by the Progress Report.

The court's ruling reveals that in October 2016, Ahlstrom entered a crime scene and pocketed $300 in cash. He informed his supervisors about the money the next day.

In a second incident, Ahlstrom took $25 in cash and two $50 gift cards after an undercover police officer handed him a bag that he claimed to have found.

The third and final episode involved Ahlstrom searching a stolen vehicle and taking $88 in cash and two packs of cigarettes from it.

While Ahlstrom lost his job due to an internal review in 2022, the Law Enforcement Review Board (LERB) reinstated him, reducing his rank by two years, citing PTSD and severe depression as reasons for retaining him.

Police Chief Dale McFee contested LERB's decision, but it was promptly rejected by the Court of Appeal of Alberta and Justice Jolaine Antonio.

Since Ahlstrom had been on unpaid suspension since 2017, the Edmonton Police Service is currently "reviewing the appeal decision and determining next steps," according to a spokesperson cited by CTV News.

McFee commented on the situation, stating, "The reality is, obviously the decision that I made in that particular case wasn't the one that the hearing officer thought was the right one. I've always been a believer that if it's deceit and/or dishonesty we have to deal with that. That's what this particularly was, or the facts. We live with the consequences and we move on, and we find the best path forward and that's what we'll do."

 

Meanwhile in an eye-catching video that's gone viral, a police car was seen engulfed in flames just outside the arrivals area at Terminal C of New York City's LaGuardia Airport. See detailed story here

[SOURCE]